stack-tracer

Global access to all CallSite/Stack Trace Properties and more

Install

npm install stack-tracer

or

npm install -g stack-tracer

Then import the module into your program:

var trace = require('stack-tracer');

Background

A Stack is a list of all active functions within the program in the order they were invoked

Every time a function is invoked, a corresponding CallSite Object is created and added to the Stack

• This CallSite Object contains information regarding the location and context of the invocation

Whenever a function returns, the CallSite corresponding to the invocation is removed from the Stack Trace

Wikipedia - Call Stack

---

This module uses a common method of capturing the raw Stack Trace (an Array of CallSite Objects)

It then creates a Tracer Object containing information about a specific CallSite

Read more about the V8 Stack Trace/CallSite API here

Usage

A Tracer Object can be created multiple ways:

• Explicitly by invoking the module export
• Implicitly by invoking one of the global properties the module creates
• From an Error

Explicit

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A Tracer Object can be created by invoking the exported function:

trace( [index] )

• index - The index of the CallSite that the Tracer Object should be based on
  • An empty input or input of 0 will correspond to the immediate (this) invocation

It contains the following properties:

---

callSite

• The corresponding CallSite Object

stack

• The raw Stack Trace starting from the corresponding CallSite object

trace

• This Tracer Object (self-referencing)

fileName

• The name of the file where the invocation is defined

isNative

• Does the invocation occur within Native V8 code?

---

line

• The line number of the invocation within the file

column

• The column number of the invocation within the file

var trace =  require('stack-tracer');
 
var myTracer = trace(); //or trace(0);
//myTracer.line = 3
//myTracer.column = 16
 
function getTracer(){
  return trace();
}
 
myTracer = getTracer();
//myTracer.line = 8
//myTracer.column = 10

---

this

• The this value in the context of the invocation

typeName

• The type of this as a String

var trace =  require('stack-tracer');
 
var myTracer = trace();
//myTracer.this = this
//myTracer.typeName = 'Object'
 
var myContext = [];
function getTracer(){
  return trace();
}
 
myTracer = getTracer.call(myContext);
//myTracer.this = myContext
//myTracer.typeName = 'Array'

---

function

• The function where the invocation occurred

functionName

• The name of the function as a String

var trace =  require('stack-tracer');
 
var myTracer = trace();
//myTracer.function = <<this entire script>>
//myTracer.functionName = null
 
function getTracer(){
  return trace();
}
 
myTracer = getTracer();
//myTracer.function = getTracer
//myTracer.functionName = 'getTracer'

---

methodName

• The name of the property within this which maps to the function where the invocation occurred

var trace =  require('stack-tracer');
 
var myTracer = trace();
//myTracer.methodName = null
 
var myObj = {
  'get' : function(){
    return trace();
  }
}
 
myTracer = myObj.get();
//myTracer.this = myObj
//myTracer.function = myObj.get
//myTracer.functionName = 'myObj.get'
//myTracer.methodName = 'get'
 
//Function can be named:
myObj = {
  'get' : function getTracer(){
    return trace();
  }
}
 
myTracer = myObj.get();
//myTracer.functionName = 'getTracer'

---

isTopLevel

• Is this the global object?

var trace =  require('stack-tracer');
 
var myTracer = trace();
//myTracer.isToplevel = true
 
function getTracer(){
  return trace();
}
 
myTracer = getTracer();
//myTracer.isToplevel = true
 
myTracer = getTracer.call({});
//myTracer.isToplevel = false

---

isEval

• Does the invocation occur within an eval statement?

evalOrigin

• String representing the CallSite of the eval function where the invocation was defined

var trace =  require('stack-tracer');
 
var myTracer = eval('trace()');
//myTracer.isEval = true
 
function getTracer(){
  return eval('trace()');
}
 
myTracer = getTracer();
//myTracer.isEval = true
 
eval('function evalGetTracer(){ return trace() }');
myTracer = evalGetTracer();
//myTracer.isEval = true

---

isConstructor

• Does the invocation occur with a function invoked as a constructor?

var trace =  require('stack-tracer');
 
var myTracer = trace();
//myTracer.isConstructor = false
 
function getTracer(){
  return trace();
}
 
myTracer = getTracer();
//myTracer.isConstructor = false
 
myTracer = new getTracer();
//myTracer.isConstructor = true

---

caller

• The Tracer corresponding to the CallSite one level above this CallSite in the Stack Trace
  • i.e. the function that called this function
  • Will be null if no caller exists

var trace =  require('stack-tracer');
 
var myTracer = trace();
//myTracer.function = <<this entire script>>
//myTracer.functionName = null
 
function getTracer(){
  return trace().caller; //or trace(1)
}
 
myTracer = getTracer();
//myTracer.function = <<this entire script>>
//myTracer.functionName = null

---

callee

• The Tracer corresponding to the CallSite one level below this CallSite in the Stack Trace
  • i.e. the function that this function called
  • Will be null if no callee exists

var trace =  require('stack-tracer');
 
 
var myTracer = trace();
//myTracer.callee = null
 
function getTracer(){
  return trace().caller;
}
 
myTracer = getTracer();
//myTracer.callee.function = getTracer
//myTracer.callee.functionName = 'getTracer'

---

Implicit

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The module also adds a number of global properties which implicitly create a Tracer object at that location and return the corresponding property

It is the equivalent of invoking trace().<property>

The properties are all of the above properties, prefixed with '__':

__callSite

• A CallSite Object for this invocation

__stack

• A raw Stack Trace Array starting from the corresponding CallSite object

__trace

• A Tracer Object for this invocation

__caller

• The Tracer corresponding to the CallSite one level above this CallSite in the Stack Trace
  • i.e. the function that called this function
  • Will be null if no caller exists

__callee

• The Tracer corresponding to the CallSite one level below this CallSite in the Stack Trace
  • i.e. the function that this function called
  • Will be null if no callee exists

__fileName

• The name of the file where the invocation is defined

__line

• The line number of the invocation within the file

__column

• The column number of the invocation within the file

__this

• The this value in the context of the invocation

__typeName

• The type of this as a String

__function

• The function where the invocation occurred

__functionName

• The name of the function as a String

__methodName

• The name of the property within this which maps to the function where the invocation occurred

__evalOrigin

• String representing the CallSite of the eval function where the invocation was defined

__isToplevel

• Is this the global object?

__isEval

• Does the invocation occur within an eval statement?

__isNative

• Does the invocation occur within Native V8 code?

__isConstructor

• Does the invocation occur with a function invoked as a constructor?

var trace =  require('stack-tracer');
 
__line   //3, same as trace().line
__column //1, same as trace().column
 
function getTracer(){
  if( __isConstructor ) return __caller //same as trace().caller or trace(1)
  else return __trace //same as trace().trace or trace()
}
 
var myTracer = getTracer();
//myTracer.line = 8
//myTracer.column = 15
 
myTracer = new getTracer();
//myTracer.line = 15
//myTracer.column = 11

---

From an Error

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Every Error has a __stack property which contains the raw Stack Trace Array.

Note - The Error.stack property must be requested in order to invoke the creation of the __stack property

A Tracer Object can then be created from an Error by invoking the following:

trace.from( error )

• error - The Error Object that the Tracer Object should be based on

var trace =  require('stack-tracer');
 
var err = new Error();
//error.__stack = undefined
 
err.stack; //invoke the creation of the stack trace array
//err.__stack = <<Array of CallSites>>
 
var myTracer = trace.from( err );
//myTracer.line = 3
//myTracer.column = 11

License

MIT